1. Mental Health Peace Officer Programs
Executive Director’s Consortium
October 2014

2. Panel Representatives
Mike Winburn, Executive Director, Gulf Coast Center & Lt. Jaime Castro, Galveston County Sheriff’s Department
Greg Rowe, Executive Director, Concho Valley Center
Terry Crocker, CEO, Tropical Texas Centers
Sally Broussard, Chief Authority Officer, Spindletop Center

3. What is an MH Peace Officer
A fully certified police officer or sheriff deputy
Assigned duties exclusive to working with individuals suspected to have mental illness
Specially trained and focused on dealing with mentally ill individuals (in excess of normal training required)
Familiar with Texas law/Mental Health Code

4. What do MH Peace Officers do?
Often respond with Community Center Crisis Workers or in place of Crisis workers
Often based out of the Community MH Office
Perform welfare checks for possible crisis calls
Follow up with “frequent fliers” in down time to prevent subsequent crisis
Assist with jail diversion activities for mentally ill individuals
Provide training to other officers/etc..

5. Why are they effective?
Teams made up of police officers & mental health workers have proven to be effective in both meeting the crisis needs of high risk individuals and reducing unnecessary hospitalizations, ED usage and incarceration.
MHPO direct clients to the most appropriate services.
MHPO decrease time spent by local law enforcement on behavioral health crisis.

6. Evidence Based References
Memphis Crisis Intervention Team –
More efficient crisis response times
Increased jail diversion
Improved likelihood of treatment continuity with community based providers
Positive impacts on symptomology for those with mental illness and substance abuse disorders
Vickers, B. Memphis, Tennessee, Police Dept. CIT: Bulletin from the Field: Practitioner Perspectives. US Dept. of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance, 2000

7. Evidence Based References
SAMSHA – targets unnecessary incarceration of offenders with mental illnesses by promoting police crisis intervention teams working with community based mental health and substances abuse providers to divert them away from jails and into appropriate treatment.
Alternative2.aspx

8. Evidence Based References
CIT Toolkit, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) – cites one of the benefits of the collaboration between mental health trained police officers and mental health providers: keeping people with mental illnesses out of jail and getting them into appropriate treatment.
Facts pdf

9. Gulf Coast Center
Gulf Coast Center had the first MH Peace Officer Program in Texas and possibly the nation.

10. Gulf Goast’s Mental Health Deputy Program
Mike Winburn and Lt. Jaime Castro

11. Concho Valley’s Mental Health Deputy Program
Greg Rowe

12. Concho Valley Model Development – 1999-2000
Originally Called the Jail Diversion Program
The “Key to Success” was the Development of Partnerships: Legislative, Judges, Sheriff, Chief of Police, Constables, MH Professionals, ER Doctors, Private Hospitals, City & County Officials, Advocates
Modeled after the Travis County Program

13. Structure 5 Positions – Sergeant and 4 Deputies 2 Shifts
On-Call after Midnight
No Transportation after Midnight

14. Deputy Training 40 Hour Certification Course
Minimum of 480 hours of OJT
Training on Emergency Detentions, Weapons, Threat to Self

15. Duties
Welfare Checks
Respond to Crisis Calls (Crisis Hotline, SAPD, MHMR, ISDs, Judges, ERs, Sheriff’s Office)
Emergency Detentions
Transportation to ER, Private Hospitals, St. Hospitals
Education – Schools, Public, SAPD
Assist Surrounding Counties

16. Other Duties Participate in OPC Hearings Assist with Warrants
Gun Seizures
Assist Bailiffs with CPS & APS Hearings

17. Funding DSHS Funding Through Rider 98 County & City Funds
HHSC Uncompensated Care – Federal Match

18. Outcomes Diversion from Jail to Appropriate Treatment
Improved Service Delivery to Individuals with Mental Illness -
* Continuity from “Crisis to Care”
* Less ER Time
* Provides Structure for Enhanced
Medication Adherence
* Positive Impact on Reducing the Inpatient
“Recidivism” Rate

19. Concho Valley Model - Benefits
Saves Lives
* Impacts the Suicide Rate and Deaths
Associated with Untreated Mental Illness
Improves Safety - Staff (MCOT), Officer, and Individual with Mental Illness
Reduces Community Cost
* Transportation
* Related Court $1,200 per case
* $200 per day

20. Concho Valley Model - Benefits
Directly Addresses the #1 Public Safety Issue in Texas (and the Nation), that of Untreated Mental Illness

21. Honored
Winner of a 2002 County Best Practice Award given by the Texas Association of Counties Leadership Foundation

22. Stats September 2013 September 2014 Calls 129 Detained 95 Adult 111
Juvenile 21
MH Inv. 102
Transports 79
Crime Inv. 25
Alc/Drug Inv. 44
Calls 138
Detained 121
Adult 90
Juvenile 47
MH Inv. 110
Transports 92
Crime Inv. 10
Alc/Drug Inv. 38

23. Tropical Texas Centers Mental Health Deputy Program
Terry Crocker

24. SPINDLETOP CENTER MH DEPUTY PROGRAM
Sally Broussard
“Pragmatism is good prevention for problems.”
― Amit Kalantri

25. Staffing Officers work for the County Sherriff Current New
2 FTE Officers
1 FTE QMHP
New
3 FTE Officers
3 FTE QMHP
Licensed MHPO
TCLOSE Certification

26. Financing DSRIP Funding New Contract County Center
Officers
Equipment
Vehicle
Center
QMHPs
Interlocal Agreement
New
Rider 65 + MCOT Crisis GR
1 Officer
1 QMHP
Contract

27. Work Duties PREVENTION! “Substation” @ Center Team Leader
No Serving Warrants!!!
Center
Team Leader
Schedules Follow-Ups
Triages Calls
Allows Independent Judgment in field

28. Pros & Cons PROs CONs Great PR Very effective for “Revolving Doors”
Improves
Relationships with Law Enforcement
CONs
Dumping
Internal
External
Staffing is difficult
Right Officer
Skilled QMHP
Never Enough!